An Avengers Christmas
by lindsey and marie enterprises
Summary: As Thor is introduced to the concept of Christmas, he is touched by the idea of spending time with family around the holidays. Unfortunately, Loki seems to have no desire to be anything other than the Grinch. Can Thor convince the proverbial red-nosed reindeer to let himself be accepted? By Lindsey
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! Alternatively, Happy Hanukah or Joyous Kwanzaa! I don't care! And if you aren't religious, then Happy Holidays! Lindsey here with an Avengers Christmas special! FYI, I'm disregarding the events of Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 for the purpose of this story, so it's kind of an AU. I hope you enjoy! This story will be updated daily until the end of December!**_

**So, This is Christmas**

Thor had been living in Avengers tower for a few months now. He had found Earth customs a bit odd, but enjoyable (for the most part) and interesting to learn about. However, nothing could prepare him for the morning when he awoke to the sound of the most heinous caterwauling imaginable. Thinking one of his teammates was being tortured, he called Mjolnir to him and ran into the living room, wearing only a white t-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms.

What he found left him speechless: Tony was running around the living room, putting up strange (to Thor) decorations and belting out "The Twelve Days of Christmas" at the top of his lungs. Tony's singing had apparently awoken the rest of the tower as well, because it wasn't long before the rest of the team, bleary-eyed and grouchy, filed into the living room to see what was making all the noise.

Natasha, Clint, and Bruce all grumbled and started heading back to their rooms—after all, who woke up at the ungodly hour of seven o'clock on a Saturday—to try and catch a couple more hours of sleep. Thor simply looked around, hoping for an explanation, and finding none. Steve, on the other hand, was ecstatic. His face lit up with the biggest grin, and he quickly darted forward to help Tony with the decorating. He even joined in the singing, his perfectly in tune voice helping to somewhat lessen the blow of Tony's wailing.

Finally, the God of Thunder could wait no longer. "Captain, Stark, while I am happy to see you are enjoying yourselves, I must ask: What is the meaning of these strange decorations and your…singing?"

Steve beamed over at Thor as he carefully hung an ornament from the tree. "It's almost Christmas, Thor! The best time of the year!"

"The most wonderful time of the year!" Tony corrected, quickly changing tunes to start singing that very song. Steve rolled his eyes in amusement before ushering Thor into the kitchen to explain.

"Christmas is the time of year where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God and the Savior of man," he explained. "Over the years, it's developed into a gift-giving family-oriented holiday, but that's how it started. It's a time of year to spend time with family and friends, give gifts, and just show how much you care."

Thor nodded, but he did look a bit confused. "Do the people of Earth not do this all year?"

Steve shrugged. "Well, they should, but it's emphasized around Christmas. Something in the air…it's just the feel of the season, I supposed." He suddenly snapped his fingers and dashed into his room. When he came out, he was carrying a small box. "I want you to take a look at these." Inside the box were various Christmas movies, all made at different times.

He pulled out the top one, labeled _The Nativity Story_. "This one is the one you should watch first. It doesn't matter what order you watch the rest in, but this one conveys the true meaning and spirit behind Christmas. It's easy enough to understand."

Several hours later, Thor had watched not only _The Nativity Story_, but also _Christmas Vacation, The Santa Clause 1, 2, _and _3, _and was just finishing up _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ (the animated version). Each movie had struck a chord with him, and he now believed that he had enough of an understanding of Christmas to participate in the holiday. The movie about the Grinch, however, had been intriguing. He looked at the clock; it was 2:00 in the afternoon. He decided to watch just one more movie since he could still hear Tony decorating in the tower. After some consideration, he popped in _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer._

As he watched how young Rudolph was rejected and tormented by his fellows simply because of a slight difference, his thoughts drifted to another child who was treated wrongly because he was different.

_Loki_, he thought. The other children had never truly accepted Loki; they had only tolerated his presence because Thor insisted that his brother be included.

Steve's words from earlier echoed in his mind. _It's a time of year to spend time with family and friends, give gifts, and just show how much you cared._ With that in mind, Thor changed into his Asgardian armor, hefted Mjolnir, and exited out onto the balcony attached to his room. He made no verbal signal; the Thunderer simply looked up at the heavens and nodded. The Bifröst swept him away in a column of rainbow light.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: Sorry I didn't update yesterday like I was supposed to; I had to clean the house, and some relatives came down for the weekend. But, I know y'all are eager for the next chappie, so I won't keep you waiting!**_

**You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch**

Looking back, no one knew which feat was a bigger accomplishment: the fact that Thor had convinced Loki or that he had convinced Odin. Thor never revealed how he did it; all the Avengers knew was that Thor had shown up at the tower with his brother, demanding that he be allowed to share Christmas with them.

"ARE YOU NUTS?" they all screamed at him. Loki kept to the farthest corner of the balcony, legitimately scared of the others since his magic had been removed. Thor stood protectively between him and his friends, holding out his hands in a pleading gesture.

"My friends, I beg of you," he said, "from all that I have heard, Christmas is a time to spend with one's family. Loki is my family, and I will not be able to enjoy this holiday knowing he is locked up in a cell."

Natasha closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Thor, I know you mean well, but Loki has tried to kill us all more times than we care to count. And don't even get me started on all the people he succeeded in killing…including Coulson." All the Avengers grew somber at that point. The subject of the fallen agent was still a touchy one, and no one liked to bring it up.

Finally, Steve spoke up. "Thor, you said that Odin took away his powers?" he asked. Thor nodded. "Well, if he can't attack us, and if we keep him inside the tower at all times…I see no reason why he can't stay."

"How about I don't want him in my house?" Tony suggested. "I'm the one who decides who the guests are, and I really don't feel like playing babysitter to Dr. Facilier over there."

"I agree with Steve," Bruce piped. The rest of the team looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "He's powerless, and he is Thor's brother. The least we can do is give him a chance. Besides, if it doesn't work out, we can just send him back to his cell in Asgard, right?" This seemed to placate the others, if only a little bit, and Loki, hardly believing what was happening, was ushered inside.

XxXxXxXxX

As soon as Loki stepped into the living room, he was immediately assaulted by bright lights, red and green decorations, and Christmas music playing over the speakers. Once he had taken it all in, he grudgingly observed that the room looked comfortable, even rather homey, with the fire blazing in the fireplace and the Christmas tree in the corner by the window. His insatiable curiosity ignited, he walked forward and began inspecting the strange trinkets adorning the branches.

His attention was immediately drawn to a picture frame ornament labeled "Christmas 2013". In the center was a small photograph of Tony with his arms wrapped around a gorgeous red-haired woman. Both of them were laughing, and it was no wonder: almost at the edge of the picture was Thor dressed in a plaid flannel shirt and blue jeans, caught mid-run, with Natasha hefted over his shoulder. Her expression showed that she found it hilarious, as Clint and Steve were chasing Thor, clearly demanding that he put her down. Loki assumed that it was Dr. Banner that had taken the picture.

Despite his best efforts, Loki felt a pang of loneliness as he observed the friends—no, family—in the picture. He couldn't remember ever having something like that, not even as a child. A small noise behind him made him suddenly aware that he was not alone in the room. He turned around, seeing that the Avengers were watching him with a mixture of caution and anxiety. And there was a hint of…expectation? Did they want him to say something?

Feeling awkward, and having absolutely no idea what to say, Loki cleared his throat and offered, "Er…it is…quite nice. I…thank you…for inviting me." He had thought it best not to offend the people who could quite easily pummel him into the floor if they so chose.

It was enough for Thor; the Thunder God beamed and clapped his brother on the back. "Follow me, brother; I shall escort you to your chambers." He grabbed Loki by his upper arm and practically dragged him down the hallway towards the bedroom next to his. It was a simple room, and it lacked customization, but it was no less comfortable for it. Loki examined the room carefully; he predicted he would be in it for the majority of his stay, and he wanted to get a feel for it.

What shocked him about the room was the complete lack of security. One wall of the room was almost completely window, and there was only a standard, cheap lock on the door. Two more doors on the left hand side presumably led to a closet and a bathroom, and the large, king-sized bed on the right hand side was covered in an evergreen bedspread, something Loki snorted at.

He turned around to say something to Thor, but discovered to his surprise that he was gone. _How can such a lumbering idiot move so silently?_ he wondered. Nevertheless, Loki closed the door and flopped onto the bed, reveling in how soft it was. It wasn't long before his eyes drifted closed and he was fast asleep. The rest of the Avengers, who had been waiting just down the hall, let out pent-up sighs of relief.

"Well," Clint said, finally speaking, "I think that went well."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Another update for my lovelies! I realize Loki is acting a bit OOC, but that's because right now he's a bit shell-shocked. The Loki sass returns in this chapter, along with Tony Snark! Please review; they make me happy! Flames will be turned to ice using Loki's awesome Frost Giant powers. Oh, and a quick side-note: should I or should I not add in a bit of Darki or TaserTricks or whatever you wanna call it? Because I ship them. HARD.**_

**All of the Other Reindeer Used to Laugh and Call Him Names**

Loki was jarred from his nap by a persistent pounding at his door. He simply lay still, hoping whoever it was would give up and leave. Unfortunately, the hammering continued even louder. Finally, the Trickster God growled and spat out, "Enter!"

Unsurprising, Thor poked his head into the room. Without warning, he chucked a small mound of clothing on top of his brother, who immediately sat ramrod straight on top of the bed. Sneering, he picked up the top item, which was a red sweater with prancing deer on it. He sent a derisive smirk in Thor's direction.

"And what, pray tell, am I to do with these, brother?" he asked.

Thor beamed at him. "We are all going out for a walk in the park, and I did not want you to be cold." He immediately realized his mistake at the menacing flash in Loki's green eyes. "Well, and also…without something of this nature on, you would look very out of place." Loki glanced down at the knitted sweater.

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," he grumbled. "Why not just leave me here, Thunderer? I am sure I would only hold you back from your merry-making."

Natasha, who had happened to be walking by at the time, peered into the bedroom. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Loki insists that he remain in the tower," Thor explained, "when all I want is for him to join us in Central Park today."

Loki was suddenly very uncomfortable with the look on Natasha's face. "Thor stuck his neck out to bring you here, and he's not about to leave you cooped up in a tower!" she seethed. "He brought you here to spend time with you—as a brother, not a watchdog. You are going to put on those clothes and go for a walk in the park, and so help me, _you are going to like it._" With that, she turned on her heel and swept out of the room, leaving two equally stunned—and slightly terrified—gods behind her.

XxXxXxX

After forcing that ridiculous sweater over his head, Loki was now walking through Central Park with the other Avengers, who were all attracting both awed and odd looks. No one seemed to be noticing Loki, and he preferred to keep it that way. He didn't even notice that Tony had dropped to the back of the group until something very wet and very cold splatted into the back of his head.

He whipped around, his black hair swirling around his face, to find Tony looking a bit too innocent. Now, most people would've either grumbled good-naturedly or proceeded to counterattack. Loki was not most people.

He stormed up to Tony, grabbing him by his chin. "What was the meaning of _that_?" he hissed. "You drag me down here against my will, force me to dress like one of your kind, and then you insist on publicly humiliating me?" Magic or no magic, Loki was still stronger than a human, and therefore he was still very dangerous.

Thor placed a firm hand on his brother's arm. "Loki, release him," he rumbled. "Do you not remember snowball fights when we were children?"

Loki let go of Tony, shaking Thor's hand off in the process. "I try to forget everything to do with you, _brother_," he spat. "And you know how I feel about the snow."

"I also know how you used to love winter," Thor countered. "Every year, you were the first one to play in the snow, and you loved it like no other. Snowball fights, snowmen, snow angels…you did it all, Loki. What changed?"

The Jotun prince stared into Thor's eyes for a good long while before finally whispering, "I don't know."

Bruce came up and gently placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Maybe we should head back. Central Park isn't going anywhere." The others agreed that that would be best.

XxXxXxX

Once they returned to the tower, Thor suggested they all sit down and watch a Christmas movie. It came as a shock to everyone when he insisted that they watch the live action version of _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ (completely ignoring Steve's requests for _It's a Wonderful Life_). Thor said it was a good movie for Loki, and while the others seemed to agree, Loki wasn't sure how a movie about a green creature that hated Christmas was supposed to be good for him.

To his complete and utter amazement, Loki found the movie to be quite enjoyable. He discovered that he was able to empathize with the Grinch, especially when he saw how the Grinch was adopted and treated terribly by the other children. He even found himself cheering along with the others—albeit much more quietly—when the Grinch saved Cindy Lu.

Maybe this "Christmas" thing wouldn't be so bad after all.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe I'm almost done with this story! There's going to be a bit of a time skip in this chapter, but bear with me. It's worth it.**_

**Baby, it's Cold Outside**

Loki had been on Earth for five days now, and he had to admit, he had actually enjoyed himself. Naturally, the nagging reminder that it couldn't last remained in the back of his mind, but nonetheless, he had attempted to join in the festivities. He must have watched every Christmas movie in the tower, and even more on TV. However, he wasn't going to be watching any movies today, for it was Christmas Eve, and that meant the much-anticipated Stark Christmas Party.

Thor was especially pleased because Tony had paid for Jane and Darcy to fly in for the party. Loki, shockingly, was feeling happy because everyone else was happy. Now, however, it was time to prepare for the party, and the trickster was perfectly willing to help.

He had let it slip that he was a dab hand in the kitchen, so naturally he was assisting Pepper in cooking the colossal amount of food (most of which he was sure would wind up in Thor's stomach). Pepper had been apprehensive at first, but when Loki expressed a genuine interest in learning about Earth's culinary arts, she had decided he wasn't so bad after all.

"Pep," Tony called, "where did you put the centerpiece for the table?" He stuck his head into the kitchen, his mouth watering at the savory aroma permeating the room.

Pepper smiled as she turned around. "It's in the cabinet in the dining room. You know, JARVIS could have told you that," she said with a smirk.

Tony returned it. "Where's the fun in that?" He wrapped his arms around Pepper's waist and kissed her. Loki turned away, feeling amused and a bit jealous. He'd never had a beautiful woman before, or any woman, really; they were all too busy swooning over Thor. What _did_ they see in that great oaf, anyway?

"I can finish this up, Loki; Jane and Darcy are about to pull up to the tower. Why don't you go down and see if they need help with their bags?" Pepper offered, seeing Loki's awkwardness.

Loki was only too happy to oblige; he'd been feeling cooped up and cramped today. He rode the elevator down to the first floor and stepped outside just as a taxi pulled up next to the building. Jane Foster climbed out, followed by…

"By the Norns," Loki whispered. Her skin was the color of a porcelain doll, with innocent doe eyes framed by long, dark lashes. Pink lips that looked as soft and delicate as flowers split into a dimpled smile as a snowflake landed on her nose. Wavy, jet black hair framed her features, lending an almost fragile quality to her appearance. Loki barely registered the almost comical amount of clothes she was wearing; all he saw was her face, her beautiful, wonderful face, and he was lost.

"Darcy, help me with this," Jane called, snapping Loki out of his trance. He immediately decided that such a wondrous creature should not be allowed to carry anything heavier than the clothes on her body.

"Please, allow me," he offered, stepping forward. He easily lifted both large suitcases out of the trunk of the taxi.

Darcy smiled at him. "Thank you! Such a gentleman." Loki was automatically captivated by her voice. Oh, he was certain it wasn't melodious, and it was a voice some might find annoying, but to him, it was the purest music in all the Nine Realms. "I'm Darcy, this is Jane."

"My name is Loki," he replied as the automatic doors parted for them. The two women stopped dead, staring at him with shock and undeniable fear. On Jane, it really didn't bother him so much, but on Darcy…he felt physical pain, knowing that this gorgeous woman was afraid of him. He felt as though any chance he might have had with her had just promptly been thrown out the window.

"Oh, um…Thor's brother, right?" Jane asked, clearly trying to smooth over the situation.

Loki nodded. "Yes, that's right." He felt he needed to placate them somehow. "I have no powers right now; Thor is the one who invited me for Christmas." _More like dragged me here_, he mentally corrected.

This seemed to satisfy Darcy. "Well, since you've been invited, I guess it's all cool!" she replied. She hit the elevator button, and the doors opened to allow them in.

"Top floor, JARVIS," Loki requested.

"Of course, sir. And Merry Christmas to you, Ms. Foster, Ms. Lewis," the AI's voice answered.

"Thanks, JARVIS," they answered in unison. Loki couldn't help it as his eyes roved over Darcy's figure, constantly noting how delicate she appeared…almost breakable.

_Yes,_ he mused, _Merry Christmas, indeed._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: Back again with the next chapter! I was so pleased with the positive response to the TasterTricks in the last chapter, so you can look forward to seeing even more of it. This chapter will be a fair bit longer than the previous ones, but that's because I'm putting so much into it. So, enjoy, and leave reviews! I live for reviews!**_

**Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow**

Loki had never felt more awkward than when he approached Pepper with a pair of scissors in his hand. Naturally, she was confused, but after stuttering out what he wanted, she was more than happy to oblige. Fifteen minutes later, and Loki was running his hands through his now much shorter hair. It was still what some would consider long, but it now came only to the bottoms of his ears. If he put on his horned helmet, it would completely cover his hair.

He also changed into a light blue button-down, black pants, and black dress shoes. After some debate, he added a tie and black button-up vest to the ensemble. He had to admit, these Earthlings were primitive, but they did have style. Truthfully, the only reason he was bothering to dress up was because he knew that a certain raven-haired intern was going to be in attendance, and he suspected that his greasy locks from earlier probably hadn't been a good first impression.

After stepping out of his room, Loki was surprised to see that Thor had smartened himself up, as well. He was wearing a black button-down and a black tie, black dress shoes, and dark blue jeans. Jane looked positively ravishing in a dark blue cocktail dress, black tights, and her brown hair curled and piled on top of her head.

The scientist smiled at Loki when she saw him. "Well, Loki, you clean up nice," she complimented. "I especially like the haircut."

Loki returned the smile with one of his own. "Thank you, Ms. Foster." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "For the life of me, I don't know how my brother managed to woo such a beauty as yourself." Jane giggled, and Thor seemed pleased that his brother was actually being friendly.

"We going to a party or what?" a voice called. Loki turned around and froze, his breath quickening. There she was, in a sequined black dress that matched her hair exactly. Her long, pale legs were accented perfectly by the silver stilettos on her feet, but even with them on, she only came up to Loki's shoulder. Her ebony locks had been straightened so that they fell almost to her waist, and a silver hair clip held some of it in place behind her ear.

"Hello?" Darcy called, waving a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Loki! Anybody home?" Loki shook himself out of his stupor, feeling embarrassed. He needed to learn how to compose himself around this woman.

"I'm sorry; forgive me," he said. He took her hand and repeated the gesture he had bestowed on Jane, although this time he let his lips linger on her knuckles a bit longer than was necessary. Her skin was as soft and smooth as silk; he wanted to feel it all day. When he released her hand, he extended his elbow to her. "Will you permit me to be your escort for this evening?"

Darcy looked elated. She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, looking up and giving him a dimpled grin. She had swapped out her glasses for contacts, allowing Loki to see her beautiful doe eyes in full. Exchanging smiles, the two brothers and their dates made their way into the dining room for dinner.

XxXxXxX

Dinner had been an unqualified success, with everyone complimenting Pepper and Loki's work in the kitchen, which they both received with humble thanks. Loki did allow himself a smirk, however, when he noticed how much everyone seemed to enjoy the dessert he'd prepared. Naturally, he had borrowed Pepper's Lava Cake recipe, but he had made a few adjustments to the recipe. He made a mental note to share his secrets with Pepper later.

Loki and Darcy had hit it off once he had overcome his nervousness, and he was delighted to find that she seemed to share his wicked sense of humor. They were quickly lost in exchanging tales of various pranks that they had pulled on their friends. They found they had pulled the same pranks on some occasions, and they had gone into detail on pranks of their own creation for the other to use.

He also discovered that Darcy was studying politics, something that he was unfamiliar with on Earth. When she realized his ignorance, and his eagerness to learn about the subject, she had immediately launched into a detailed explanation about the United States' governmental system. Loki kept interrupting her with questions; he was worried he would put her off with his inquiries, but her eyes lit up with excitement every time he opened his mouth to ask another one.

Everyone else was delving into their own conversations, as well: Tony and Bruce were discussing their latest lab projects, each providing the other helpful advice amid the merciless teasing; Steve was deep into recounting one of his missions during World War II, which Clint listened to with rapt attention; Natasha and Pepper were making preparations for a shopping trip, which Loki was surprised to hear the master assassin talking about; and Jane was explaining more Earth technology to Thor. Loki was sure that Thor probably could figure out most of what she was describing on his own. He probably just loved to hear her voice.

After dinner, they all moved into the living room, where Tony promptly whipped out the playing cards. Thor had already been instructed in poker, but Loki had yet to be initiated, to Tony's shock. He automatically insisted that Loki sit down and play with them. Darcy asked if she could join in, and before long, they had a game of five players going: Loki, Thor, Tony, Clint, and Darcy. The intern shocked them all when she won by a landslide on the first round; Loki, naturally, lost spectacularly the first few hands before finally getting the hang of it. Once he figured out how to play, it was essentially a death match between him and Darcy with the others there to simply add more money into the pot.

Finally, Jane and Pepper broke up the game when they reminded everyone of the time: it was midnight, and it was Christmas Day in the morning. Everyone said their goodnights and headed to their rooms, Loki bravely bestowing a kiss onto Darcy's cheek, which caused a becoming rosy hue to blossom on her snowy cheeks.

Loki entered his room and changed into a t-shirt and flannel pajama pants (something that he really didn't need, but they were quite comfortable). He looked out the window and noticed snow was falling all over Manhattan. He allowed himself a small smile and started humming a Christmas tune under his breath as he climbed into bed. Only a few minutes later, he was fast asleep.

XxXxXxX

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!" an exuberant voice yelled in Loki's ear. He shot up in bed with a yelp, glaring at Tony's smiling face. "Merry Christmas!"

Loki mock-pouted and folded his arms across his chest. "Bah, humbug," he growled. "Now get out of my room, you pathetic mortal!" Tony dodged a pillow and scampered out of the room, cackling at the top of his lungs.

After stretching and running a comb through his hair, he entered the living room, where all the others were already seated. He noticed that all the presents had already been passed out and sorted into piles. What really surprised him was the unattended pile of presents at the end of the couch. He picked up the top one and nearly fainted; it was addressed to _him_. In fact, they all were. There were six presents, all neatly wrapped, with his name on the tag.

He looked around the room and noticed that everyone was staring at him expectantly. "Well, go on," Darcy prompted. "It's your first Christmas, so you get to go first."

Loki tried to back out of it. "It's his, too, you know," he replied, pointing at Thor.

Thor laughed a deep, rumbling laugh. "Yes, but you're the little brother, so you go first." There was nothing for it, now. He sat down on the couch and picked up the first one. It was from Tony and Pepper. He opened it up and was delighted to find a large cookbook.

He looked up at the couple, who were smiling at him. "That one has some of my favorite recipes in it," she explained, "and I figured it was a good place to start." Loki nodded, unable to find his voice. They seemed to understand as he moved on to the next present, which came from Steve.

Loki let out a small chuckle when he saw that Steve had given him his three favorite Christmas movies: _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_, _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_, and _A Christmas Carol_. He sent Steve a grateful smile, still not quite able to speak yet. Gently, he set the movies aside and picked up the gift from Thor and Jane.

Thor had seen fit to give Loki yet another sweater, but this one was green with prancing reindeer going around it. The material was pleasantly soft, and while he didn't need the sweater, he did appreciate the obvious thought Thor had put into it. He grabbed the next present, which turned out to be from Clint and Natasha.

Inside the box was a snow globe that contained a mountain with skiers sliding down the slope. When shaken, the snow would make it look like they were skiing through a blizzard. It was a beautiful snow globe, and he hoped they saw how much he appreciated it. Only two gifts were left.

Bruce had presented him with a book on all of Earth's mythology, which Loki found extremely fascinating, especially how the tales of Asgard had been morphed over the years. Finally came the gift from Darcy. With trembling hands, he unwrapped the present.

His eyes widened in wonder: a small electronic device, just big enough to fit in the palm of his hand, was sitting in his lap. He pushed the center button, which had a small sideways triangle on it. Faint music reached his ears.

"It's an iPod Classic," Darcy explained. "You mentioned how much you enjoyed Earth's music, so now you can take it with you wherever you go. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I put some of my favorites on there."

Loki looked around the room with shining eyes. "Thank you. All of you. I…realize I wasn't the most grateful guest when I first arrived, but…you have accepted me into your home, despite all that I did. However…" He looked sadly down at his presents. "I do not see what use these gifts will be for me. I am certain that I must return to Asgard, soon…to serve my sentence." He was surprised when everyone simply started to laugh.

"What is so funny?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"The joke is on you, brother!" Thor said, clapping Loki on the back. "I convinced Father that if I could prove you were capable of change, he would allow you to remain on Earth. And he also said he would restore your powers to you." At that moment, Loki realized that he felt…different. Stronger. Lighter. He had assumed it was because he was so happy, when he'd really had his magic back since the party last night.

"Merry Christmas, Loki," Steve said. "And welcome to the team."

"Welcome to the family," Tony corrected. And Loki was quickly engulfed in hugs from the others. He smiled, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. For the first time in his life, Loki had found where he belonged. He had found…home.

_**Author's Note: Well, it had to come to an end eventually. But I am so happy with how this story turned out! Please leave reviews, and who knows? I might add a bonus chapter! Tell me if you want a bonus chapter in your reviews, please!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: Well, despite the lack of response asking for a bonus chapter *hangs head in shame* I had an idea for the final chapter that would not go away. Here ya go! Leave reviews, please!**_

**Avengers on Ice**

It was January 2nd, and Loki was bored. Jane and Darcy had stayed for New Year's, but they were departing the next day. During the time since Christmas, Loki and Darcy had grown increasingly close, learning as much as possible about each other. However, they had now reached that awkward stage where they were more than friends, but they weren't quite a couple yet. The girls wanted to do something special on their last day in New York, but everyone was at a loss as to what to do. Even Tony, who never seemed to run out of ideas, was stumped.

Loki picked up the remote and started flipping channels on the TV, not really paying attention until he saw something that seemed to turn on the light bulb above his head. A family was ice skating on TV, and they seemed to be having a lot of fun. Loki couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this sooner. Ice skating, the girls would love that!

He bolted into the living room, his eyes alight with unbridled genius. The others looked up with interest. "Who wants to go ice skating?" Loki asked excitedly. Everyone grinned and leapt up, each voicing their elation and agreement. Everyone, that is, except the one person Loki wanted to. Darcy was staring at the floor, her fingers weaving in and out nervously.

"Darcy?" he asked in concern, moving to sit next to her. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be excited."

She looked up into his pleading green eyes. "I am, I guess, it's just…" She sighed. "I've never been ice skating before. I don't know how."

Darcy was surprised when Loki simply smiled at her, chuckling slightly. "I think I can help with that. Come on, what do you say?" She pondered it for a moment before nodding. Grinning like an idiot, Loki hopped up and went to go change.

Thirty minutes later, everyone was lacing up their skates at Rockefeller Plaza. The place wasn't too crowded, but there was still a fair amount of people there. Loki had been the first one to rent his skates, and he was now waiting impatiently for the others to finish up.

Jane stood up unsteadily, and Thor quickly caught her and helped her walk out onto the ice. She would have fallen if not for his strong arms around her. To help her get used to it, Thor shifted her so that his right arm was around her waist and his left hand grasped hers. Clint and Natasha skilfully began weaving between some of the other people, Tony and Pepper joined the other couples skating hand in hand, and Steve and Bruce were simply content to avoid bumping into anyone. That left Darcy, who, after making it out onto the ice, clung to the wall while trying to force her feet to stay under her.

Loki whipped over to her, sliding to a stop right in front of her. "Can I be of assistance?" he asked with a playful smile. Cautiously, Darcy held her hand out to him. He took it and gently pulled her away from the wall. She fell forward onto his chest immediately, causing her to blush. Loki chuckled and helped her to stand up. Her feet started to slide out from under her, so he copied Thor, wrapping one arm around her waist.

Slowly, they began to make their way around the ice. Darcy found that, once she stopped worrying about falling, it was actually quite enjoyable. Without even realizing it, she started shifting her weight to propel herself forward and to change directions. Smirking in satisfaction, Loki slowly eased up on her back until his arm was merely floating an inch above her. Finally, he dropped his arm and let go of her hand.

She looked up in surprise, but smiled and continued skating on her own. She caught up to Jane and Thor and proceeded to show off her newly acquired skills. Loki sighed and closed his eyes before deciding to put on a little show. He started zipping around the rink, doing a couple 360's before trying something a bit more complicated. Out of nowhere, he leapt into a triple lutz. He didn't even noticed that everyone had stopped what they were doing to observe what he was doing.

He was lost in what he was doing, alternating between leaps and spins and complicated contortions as he skated in complex formations around the ice. Loki stumbled once, but he didn't fall. Finally, he slid to a stop, panting, as the entire plaza burst into cheers and applause. He flashed a small grin before skating back to the other Avengers, who were also smiling at Loki's performance.

Darcy playfully punched him on the arm. "You just had to show me up, didn't you?" she asked in a mock hurt voice.

Loki smiled at her and took her hand. "Actually, I was hoping to loosen myself up so I could ask you to dinner," he replied.

Her eyes went wide in surprise, but she quickly recovered with a grin. "I'd love to," she answered, beaming up at him. Loki smiled, and they all headed for home.


End file.
